Chapter One   Volume One: The Seven Locations of the Mind

Why did the Buddha begin the Śūraṅgama Sūtra with the discourse on the Seven Locations of the Mind? The purpose at the outset is to refute the false and reveal the true. In the first volume, the refutation targets the false mind of the six consciousnesses. Through seven rounds of inquiry with Ānanda to locate the deluded mind that loves and delights in the Buddha, it is ultimately found that this deluded mind cannot be located anywhere; there is no fixed abode for consciousness. This demonstrates that the deluded mind is illusory and unreal, not truly existent. It teaches sentient beings not to grasp and cling to the deluded mind of the six consciousnesses as the self. Only by abandoning the deluded mind can one realize the true mind, recognize one’s own inherent treasure, dispel confusion and attain awakening, liberate oneself from the bonds of birth and death, and thereby achieve great liberation.

According to the World-Honored One’s exposition in the first volume, anyone with sufficient meditative power, through deep contemplation and reflection in meditation, can eradicate the view of self associated with the six consciousnesses, and subsequently eradicate the view of self associated with the seventh consciousness and the five aggregates. Severing the view of self and the three fetters is not difficult; the difficulty lies in precepts, meditation, and contemplative wisdom. Observing precepts, cultivating meditation, and contemplating according to truth—these three should be practiced progressively. Then there is hope for severing the view of self, and hope for realizing the mind and perceiving its nature.

Section One   The First Location of the Mind—The Mind Residing Within the Body

The first volume of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra recounts how Ānanda was ensnared by the evil spell of a seductress and was rescued by Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, who brought the Śūraṅgama Mantra empowered by the World-Honored One. Afterwards, Ānanda wept sorrowfully, repenting his incomplete spiritual power, and beseeched the World-Honored One to bestow upon him the initial expedient path to the wondrous bodhi achieved by the Tathāgatas of the ten directions—the path of śamatha, samādhi, and dhyāna. The World-Honored One then began to lead Ānanda and the assembly in the inquiry into the mind. The inquiry into the location of the mind seeks to ascertain where the deluded mind resides. Knowing the location of the deluded mind enables one to subdue it and attain liberation. Since Ānanda renounced household life out of love and delight for the Buddha, this mind of loving delight for the Buddha is the deluded mind. The Buddha thus instructed Ānanda to find where this deluded mind is, whether it possesses inherent nature, and then to subdue it, after which spiritual practice would be accomplished.

Now begins the inquiry into the location of the mind that Ānanda described as loving and delighting in the Buddha. This is the deluded mind subject to birth and death. However, after searching everywhere, Ānanda could not find it. Finally, he concluded: The deluded seventh consciousness does not reside inside, outside, or in the middle of the physical body. Yet, the conscious mind is together with the internal six dusts within the subtle sense faculties, contacting the internal six dusts and discerning them. The fundamental point of the inquiry into the mind is to understand that the conscious mind is not material form; it is formless and without appearance. Therefore, it cannot be said to reside in specific locations inside, outside, or in the middle of the body. Thus, the conscious mind has no inherent nature and consequently no fixed location.

The internal six dusts are reflections, not substantial material forms. Therefore, the six consciousnesses can contact the reflections of the internal six dusts within the subtle sense faculties, but they cannot be specifically located inside, outside, or in the middle of the body. If the conscious mind were inside the body, it would be able to contact the substantial material forms of the body. Substantial material forms are the external six dusts, which the deluded mind cannot contact. Therefore, the conscious mind is not inside the body. Similarly, if the conscious mind were outside the body and could perceive the body, then this body would have no relation to the conscious mind. The body belongs to the substantial material forms of the external six dusts. It is impossible for the deluded mind to contact substantial material forms; only the Tathāgatagarbha can contact the essential nature of substantial material forms. The deluded mind of the six consciousnesses cannot contact them. Therefore, the deluded mind cannot reside in any of the seven locations, such as inside, outside, or in the middle.

Original Text: Ānanda, I now ask you: When you resolved your mind, directing it towards the Tathāgata’s thirty-two marks, what did you see with? Who is it that loves and delights? Ānanda replied to the Buddha: World-Honored One, this love and delight is through my mind and eyes. By seeing with the eyes the Tathāgata’s supreme marks, the mind gives rise to love and delight. Therefore, I resolved my mind, wishing to renounce birth and death.

Explanation: Now begins the explanation of the first location of the mind. What caused the need for this inquiry? The reason is: Ānanda told the Buddha, “It is because I love and delight in the Buddha that I was willing to renounce birth and death and resolve to leave household life.” The Buddha then asked Ānanda, “When you resolved to leave household life, was it because you admired the Tathāgata’s thirty-two marks? What did you use to see the Tathāgata’s thirty-two marks? Who is it that loves and delights in the Buddha? Why does he love and delight?” Ānanda said, “It is through the mind and eyes. I love and delight in the Tathāgata’s thirty-two marks with my mind and eyes. Because the eye faculty saw the Tathāgata’s supreme appearance, the mind gave rise to love and delight. Therefore, I resolved to leave household life, wishing to renounce birth and death.”

Original Text: The Buddha told Ānanda: As you say, your true love and delight is due to your mind and eyes. If you do not know where your mind and eyes are, then you cannot subdue the dust and toil. For example, when a king is invaded by bandits, he sends troops to subdue them. These troops must know where the bandits are. What causes your continual flow [in saṃsāra] is the fault of your mind and eyes. I now ask you, where are your mind and eyes now?

Explanation: The Buddha told Ānanda: As you say, your true love and delight for the Buddha is due to your mind and eye faculty. If you do not know where your mind and eyes are, then you cannot subdue your dust-like afflictions.

For example, when a king is invaded by bandits, he must dispatch troops to subdue and eliminate the bandits, removing the hidden danger. However, the troops sent to subdue them must know where the bandits are located before they can subdue them. Subduing one’s own mental bandits is the same. What causes your unceasing birth and death is your mind and eyes; they are the culprits responsible for the faults of birth and death. Therefore, you must subdue the mind and eyes. I now ask you, where are your mind and eyes?

The Buddha’s meaning is that your mind and eyes are the bandits of affliction, robbing your own family treasure, plundering your own wish-fulfilling jewel, causing you to wander in poverty through the six paths, destitute and displaced, endlessly revolving in birth and death—all due to the mind and eyes. We must seize this bandit of the mind and eyes; thereafter, we can subdue afflictions and return to the home of our self-nature, no longer mistaking the thief for a son or father, no longer taking the deluded mind as our master or self-nature.

The Buddha asked Ānanda: Where exactly is the mind and eyes you speak of? This begins the inquiry into the mind. The Buddha wanted Ānanda to find the mind that loves and delights in the Buddha, to recognize that this mind is the bandit of affliction, so that he could discard the false master, find the true master, and thereby return to the home of self-nature, settling there securely. The mind that loves and delights in the Buddha is the deluded mind of the seventh consciousness, subject to birth and death; it is the afflictive thief that robs the family treasure. The self-nature pure mind, one’s true master, has no love or delight, no liking or aversion. Thus, the World-Honored One began the inquiry into the mind, asking Ānanda where his mind and eyes were. Hearing this question from the Buddha, Ānanda began his search. This is the first location of the mind inquiry.

Original Text: Ānanda said to the Buddha: World-Honored One, all sentient beings of the ten kinds of different births in the world universally consider the conscious mind to reside within the body. Even when gazing upon the Tathāgata’s eyes resembling blue lotuses, they too are on the Buddha’s face.

Explanation: Ānanda said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, all sentient beings of the ten kinds of different births in the world consider the conscious mind to reside within their own bodies. Even when seeing your eyes resembling blue lotuses, they too are on your face.”

“All the world” includes all receptacle worlds within the three realms, all Buddha lands, and the great chiliocosm, totaling ten kinds of different births. What are “different births”? “Different” means variation, change; “birth” refers to sentient beings. Sentient beings include bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and the six destinies of ordinary beings. Sentient beings are not Buddhas. “Different births” means being born in different categories, at different times, and in different places.

Birth in different categories: For example, we are now reborn as humans. In the next life, we may not be human; we may change to another category—perhaps a ghost, a hell-being, an animal, an asura, a deva, a śrāvaka, a pratyekabuddha, or a bodhisattva. It is uncertain. Changing the category of life is called “birth in different categories.” Sentient beings in this life have a human body; in the next life, they may have a deva body. This is called “different birth,” changing categories. There is also “birth at different times.” “Different times” means, for example, our human life now spans several decades. After these decades, life ends, and another life form is born in the next period. This is called “birth at different times,” being born in another time period.

There is also “birth in different places.” “Different places” refers to the nine stages within the three realms. The three realms are the desire realm, form realm, and formless realm. The nine stages are: the desire realm as one stage; the four heavens of the form realm—first dhyāna, second dhyāna, third dhyāna, and fourth dhyāna—as four stages; plus the four formless heavens above the fourth dhyāna, totaling nine stages. “Different places” means sentient beings are born in different locations. For example, now born in the human realm of the desire realm, due to cultivating the first dhyāna, one may be born in the first dhyāna heaven in the next life. This is called “birth in different places,” the location of birth changes. Sentient beings now born in the desire realm may be born in the form realm or formless realm in the next life. The place of birth changes, called “birth in different places.”

Sentient beings have ten kinds of different births. This “ten” is an approximate number, not necessarily fixed at ten. If including the Buddha, the Dharma realm has ten kinds: the six destinies of ordinary beings are six kinds; śrāvakas are one kind; pratyekabuddhas are one kind; bodhisattvas are one kind; and Buddhas are one kind. Different births do not include Buddhas. A Buddha is not a different birth, not a sentient being, and does not change. If subdivided, the ten kinds can be divided into many categories. For example, humans can be divided into many kinds; animals, if subdivided, are countless; ghostly beings also have many kinds; hell-beings have many kinds. The categories of beings in each path are very numerous; the number is only approximate.

The highest level of different-birth sentient beings is seventh-ground bodhisattvas. Eighth-ground bodhisattvas no longer possess the nature of different births, having already ended segmented birth and death, retaining only the subtle birth and death, with the ālaya-vijñāna transforming into the fully matured consciousness (vipāka-vijñāna). The life of bodhisattvas above the eighth ground is not segmented; their lifespan is extremely long. They do not die in this life and then take rebirth in the next. They have no phenomenon of birth in different categories, times, or places. Therefore, bodhisattvas above the eighth ground do not belong to different births. Bodhisattvas below the eighth ground, plus the six destinies of ordinary beings, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas, all possess the nature of different births, as these sentient beings all have segmented birth and death. However, fourth-fruit arhats and those who have truly attained pratyekabuddhahood no longer possess the nature of different births, having ended segmented birth and death.

Segmented birth and death means life is segmented. Human life spans decades, centuries, or millennia. Animal life spans minutes, half a day, a day, a year, ten years, twenty years, etc. The life of hungry ghosts is measured in kalpas; hell-beings are measured in kalpas even more. All are segmented. After the karmic retribution of one period is exhausted, another life form is born to undergo the karmic retribution of the next period. This is called “different birth.”

Ānanda told the Buddha that the conscious mind capable of giving rise to love and delight resides within the body. This is his first argument. What is his evidence? He states: “Even when gazing upon the Tathāgata’s eyes resembling blue lotuses, they too are on the Buddha’s face.” Ordinary people say: “The eyes are the windows to the soul,” meaning the soul perceives the external world through the eyes, and the spirit and expression of the eyes reveal the person’s thoughts and emotions. Actually, spirit and expression are controlled by the mental faculty (manas), so what is manifested is the thoughts and emotions of the mental faculty. Ānanda’s view at this time is similar. He said that seeing the Buddha’s eyes resembling blue lotuses, like those of sentient beings, are also on the Buddha’s face. Therefore, the Buddha’s conscious mind must surely be within the face, within the body. The Buddha’s eyes are called “eyes resembling blue lotuses,” shaped like blue lotuses, eyes like the four great oceans. Since the Buddha’s eyes resembling blue lotuses are on his face, the conscious mind is within the body.

Original Text: I now observe that these floating roots of the four dusts are only on my face. Thus, the conscious mind indeed resides within the body. The Buddha told Ānanda: You are now seated in the Tathāgata’s lecture hall. Observing the Jeta Grove, where is it now? World-Honored One, this great multi-storied pavilion, the pure lecture hall, is in the Garden of the Benefactor of Orphans and the Solitary. The Jeta Grove is indeed outside the hall.

Explanation: “I now observe that my floating roots of the four dusts are on my face; the conscious mind indeed resides within my body.” The Buddha said to Ānanda: “You are now seated in the Tathāgata’s lecture hall. Observing the Jeta Grove, where is it now?” Ānanda replied to the Buddha: “This great multi-storied pavilion, the pure lecture hall, is in the Garden of the Benefactor of Orphans and the Solitary. The Jeta Grove is indeed outside the hall.”

“Floating roots” are the roots floating on the surface of the body, visible to everyone. The surface roots refer to the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body faculties—these five faculties. The face has four roots; the body faculty is not included here. On the face are the eye, ear, nose, and tongue faculties, all visible to others, all on my face. Even the Buddha’s eyes are on his face.

Ānanda then concluded that the conscious mind is within the body, able to discern and know all dharmas through the four floating roots on the face. Since the floating roots are outside, the conscious mind must be inside. From within, it can see outside through the floating dust roots on the face. He used this evidence to prove that the conscious mind indeed resides within the body. The floating dust roots are also dust. Dust includes the eye, ear, nose, and tongue faculties composed of the four great elements. The body faculty is also dust, a material form dust. The mental faculty belongs to mental dharmas dust, a mental dharma, not a material dharma.

The Buddha used the lecture hall to metaphorically represent sentient beings’ physical body. The conscious mind within the physical body can perceive the material world outside the body, including the floating dust roots on the face, because the conscious mind is within the body. This is Ānanda’s view.

Original Text: The Buddha said: Ānanda, what did you first see in this hall? World-Honored One, in the hall, I first saw the Tathāgata, then observed the great assembly. Looking outward thus, I then beheld the grove. Ānanda, when you beheld the grove, by what means did you see? World-Honored One, this great lecture hall has open windows and doors. Therefore, being in the hall, I could see afar.

Explanation: The Buddha said: “Ānanda, in my great lecture hall, what did you see first?” Ānanda replied: “World-Honored One, in this hall, I first saw the Tathāgata, because I was seated facing the Tathāgata, who was seated at the head position opposite me. I certainly saw the Tathāgata first. After seeing the Tathāgata, I then observed the great assembly (monastic community) around him. After observing the monastic community, I looked further outside and saw the grove, the Jeta Grove, outside the hall.” The Buddha then asked Ānanda: “When you saw the Jeta Grove, by what means were you able to see? By what means did this perceiving awareness arise?” Ānanda replied to the World-Honored One: “World-Honored One, this great lecture hall has windows; the windows and doors are open wide. Therefore, being in the hall, I could see the distant Jeta Grove through the doors and windows.”

Why did the Buddha ask Ānanda about the lecture hall? The Buddha had an intention. This lecture hall can represent sentient beings’ physical body. The doors and windows of the hall represent sentient beings’ five sense faculties. The people inside the hall can represent the material dust within sentient beings’ bodies. Ānanda represents the conscious mind.

Ānanda, this conscious mind of yours, can see the Tathāgata and the assembly inside the hall, and also see the Jeta Grove outside the windows. This means the conscious mind can see not only inside the physical body but also outside through the sense faculties (represented by the doors and windows). Since you, Ānanda, can see the Tathāgata and the assembly inside the room and also see outside through the doors and windows, then your conscious mind, Ānanda, should be able to see the matter inside the body, should also be able to see the five sense faculties or the four sense faculties, and should see the form dust outside the eye faculty. But this is not the case now! Below, the Buddha will explain point by point, refuting Ānanda’s view that the conscious mind resides within the body.

Original Text: At that time, the World-Honored One, amidst the great assembly, extended his golden arm and rubbed Ānanda’s crown. He announced to Ānanda and the great assembly: There is a samādhi called the Great Buddha’s Summit, the Śūraṅgama King.

Explanation: The World-Honored One extended his golden arm amidst the great assembly and rubbed Ānanda’s crown. He announced to Ānanda and all the great assembly: “There is a samādhi called the Great Buddha’s Summit, the Śūraṅgama King.”

The Buddha now begins to address the main topic. What is this main topic? It is the Tathāgatagarbha, the central theme within the Great Buddha’s Summit Śūraṅgama. The Buddha begins to expound the Dharma door of Tathāgatagarbha practice. After Ānanda replied to the World-Honored One’s questions, the Buddha extended his golden arm. “Extended” means stretched out. The Buddha’s arms can extend very long; this is one of his thirty-two marks. Ānanda was far from the Buddha, but as soon as the Buddha stretched out his hand, he could touch Ānanda’s crown. Even if Ānanda were at the very back of the hall, the Buddha’s golden arm, extended, could still touch Ānanda’s crown. This is called the Buddha’s touching of the crown.

“Samādhi” is a Buddhist term in Sanskrit, representing samādhi. Samādhi is both a state of concentration and a state of wisdom; precisely, it is the state of equal holding of concentration and wisdom. What Dharma equally holds concentration and wisdom? Worldly dharmas of the three realms do not equally hold concentration and wisdom. Only the Buddha’s own mind, which perceives all dharmas, equally holds concentration and wisdom. Other sentient beings do not. Unenlightened ordinary beings have neither concentration nor wisdom. Outsiders have concentration but no wisdom. Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas have more concentration and less wisdom. Bodhisattvas have more wisdom and less concentration. The Buddha equally holds concentration and wisdom.

Besides this, what truly equally holds concentration and wisdom? It is the central theme of this Śūraṅgama Sūtra—the Tathāgatagarbha. This Dharma of Tathāgatagarbha is called samādhi, the state of equal holding of concentration and wisdom. The Tathāgatagarbha possesses both concentration and wisdom; it perfectly encompasses all meditative concentrations and perfectly encompasses all great wisdom. Moreover, this concentration is called the Great Śūraṅgama Samādhi, neither exiting nor entering. Since beginningless kalpas, the Tathāgatagarbha has always been in samādhi, never leaving it. Since beginningless kalpas, the Tathāgatagarbha perfectly possesses all dharmas and all great wisdom.

Why is the Tathāgatagarbha called “eternal samādhi,” “samādhi”? Because the Tathāgatagarbha forever remains unmoved in mind towards the myriad dharmas of the three realms. Although it can perceive the receptacle world of the three realms and karmic seeds, it is forever unmoved towards the dharmas of the three realms; it does not give rise to mental activity. Its mind-ground is without turning; it forever abides in samādhi. Therefore, it is called samādhi. What is the wisdom of the Tathāgatagarbha? The wisdom of the Tathāgatagarbha refers to its great wisdom capable of giving birth to all dharmas of the three realms. With this great wisdom, no worldly dharma can compare to it; none can be mentioned in the same breath. “All dharmas” includes giving birth to the Buddha’s response bodies, transformation bodies, and reward bodies; giving birth to the Buddha’s five aggregates; giving birth to the Buddha’s thirty-two marks; giving birth to the universe and great chiliocosm; giving birth to sentient beings’ five-aggregate bodies. This represents the Tathāgatagarbha’s great wisdom and virtuous marks. Therefore, the Tathāgatagarbha equally holds concentration and wisdom, possessing both, so it is called samādhi.

The subsequent name, “Great Buddha’s Summit Śūraṅgama King,” this samādhi is also called “Great.” “Great” signifies the characteristic of the Tathāgatagarbha. The Tathāgatagarbha is also called the One True Dharma Realm. It encompasses all dharmas of the three realms, including the ten Dharma realms, the Buddha lands of the ten directions, the world oceans of the ten directions, and all banner-like kingly kṣetras. All dharmas are entirely encompassed within the Tathāgatagarbha mind; not a single dharma can transcend the One True Dharma Realm. Therefore, the Tathāgatagarbha is named “Great.” What does “Buddha’s Summit” mean? When we look at each Buddha, it seems there is a crown. Actually, the Buddha has no crown. The Buddha’s Unseen Crown Mark means there is no crown. The Unseen Crown Mark represents the Buddha’s Dharma body, Buddha mind, the Buddha’s immaculate consciousness. It means the Buddha’s summit has no summit; no one can see the crown.

Mahāmaudgalyāyana, foremost in supernatural powers, did not believe the Buddha had no crown. He ascended into the void, wanting to see the Buddha’s crown, but could not see it. Unconvinced, he ascended to the highest heaven and still could not see the Buddha’s crown. Finally, he ascended to other Buddha lands in the upper worlds, ascending to many Buddha lands in the upper worlds, yet still could not see the Buddha’s crown. This shows the Buddha’s crown is invisible. The Buddha’s crown represents the Buddha’s true mind, the immaculate consciousness, which is formless and without appearance. How can something formless and without appearance be seen? Whether with flesh eyes or the best divine eyes, one will never see the Buddha’s crown, never see the Buddha’s true suchness mind. Therefore, the Unseen Crown Mark represents the Buddha’s formless true suchness mind-essence, the Buddha’s Dharma body.

“Śūraṅgama King”: “Śūraṅgama” represents the Tathāgatagarbha. “King” means it is the king of the three realms’ myriad dharmas. Because of the Tathāgatagarbha, relying on it, the myriad dharmas of the three realms can be born. The myriad dharmas of the three realms all take the Tathāgatagarbha as their head, as their sovereign, for only then can the subsequent worldly dharmas be born one by one. First, sentient beings’ seven consciousness minds arise. The seven consciousness minds grasp at the body-mind world. The Tathāgatagarbha then complies with the seven consciousness minds to manifest the body-mind world, and the myriad dharmas of the three realms are born. Therefore, the Tathāgatagarbha is the head of the three realms’ myriad dharmas. “Śūraṅgama” is a kind of treasure. The treasure of śūraṅgama is solid and indestructible; no one’s power can destroy this śūraṅgama treasure. The Śūraṅgama King is the king among treasures, representing that the Tathāgatagarbha is the most solid, unborn and unceasing, eternally undamaged, never perishing treasure within the three realms. It is the king among all treasures, the treasure among treasures.

Original Text: Perfectly endowed with ten thousand practices. The Tathāgatas of the ten directions, through this single door, transcend [samsara] on the wondrous, adorned path.

Explanation: Next, “perfectly endowed with ten thousand practices.” “Ten thousand practices” also represents the Tathāgatagarbha. “Perfectly endowed” means the Tathāgatagarbha is perfectly endowed with the seeds of all dharmas. Because it is perfectly endowed with all dharmas, it can perform all paths. What path can the Tathāgatagarbha perform? It can give birth to the myriad dharmas of the three realms. It can give birth to sentient beings’ five aggregates. It can rely on sentient beings’ mental faculty, rely on sentient beings’ five aggregates, and produce the myriad dharmas of the three realms. It cooperates with the mental faculty, cooperates with the five aggregates, gives birth to all dharmas needed by the five aggregates, perfectly fulfilling the causes, conditions, and effects of the five aggregates. Whatever the five aggregates need, it can cooperate to manifest, satisfying all needs of the five aggregates to the utmost.

It can cooperate with the five aggregates to manifest all dharmas of the three realms. All worldly dharmas are operated by it; without it, nothing would exist. Therefore, the Tathāgatagarbha is perfectly endowed with ten thousand practices. Not a single dharma is not operated by it; not a single dharma is not created by it; not a single dharma is not maintained and operated by it. Therefore, the Tathāgatagarbha is perfectly endowed with ten thousand practices. It fulfills all needs of sentient beings; everything sentient beings need is provided by it. Therefore, the Tathāgatagarbha is perfectly endowed with ten thousand practices. It is a true great bodhisattva, forever a great bodhisattva of selfless fearlessness, with compassion, joy, and equanimity towards sentient beings.

“The Tathāgatas of the ten directions, through this single door, transcend [samsara] on the wondrous, adorned path.” The meaning of this sentence is that all Tathāgatas of the ten directions, because of this samādhi, can rely on this samādhi path to ultimately transcend the pit of birth and death, attain mental coolness and clarity, and realize great nirvāṇa. It means the Tathāgatas of the ten directions, relying on this Dharma door of Tathāgatagarbha, cultivating this fundamental great Dharma of Tathāgatagarbha, can thoroughly transcend birth and death and proceed to ultimate nirvāṇa. The path of transcending birth and death and realizing great nirvāṇa is a wondrous, adorned path. Here, “birth and death” includes both segmented birth and death and subtle birth and death. Extinguishing both kinds of birth and death without remainder enables ultimate transcendence of birth and death.

The “wondrous, adorned path” refers to the path to liberation relying on the Tathāgatagarbha. Studying the Dharma of Tathāgatagarbha, obtaining all the secret treasures within the Tathāgatagarbha, one can adorn the great path of bodhi, transcend all birth and death. This path is extremely subtle, extremely adorned, directly leading to the ultimate liberation and ultimate nirvāṇa of the Buddha ground. It is truly wondrous beyond words. This sentence points out the theme of the entire sutra. Sentient beings, from initial learning of the Buddha Dharma to ultimate Buddhahood, traverse a path adorned with bodhi during this period. Relying on the subtle principle-essence of the Tathāgatagarbha, taking the subtle Tathāgatagarbha as the center, one ultimately attains liberation. The Buddha inserted this sentence. If explained in detail with the Buddha’s wisdom, it would take several kalpas—exactly how many great kalpas is unclear. Explaining the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha alone might take several great kalpas and still not be finished. If this one sentence were fully explained, this Śūraṅgama Sūtra might be completed.

The Buddha’s meaning in saying this is: Ānanda, do not always regard that deluded mind of yours, the mind capable of loving and delighting in the Buddha, as real; it is not real. The true mind is this samādhi, the Great Buddha’s Summit, the Śūraṅgama King. Seize this, cultivate and realize it, and you can transcend birth and death. But you, Ānanda, if you take the mind and eyes as your ultimate self, that is mistaking the thief for a son. The thief of the mind and eyes will rob your family treasure, causing you to revolve endlessly in birth and death. The Buddha used the method of contrasting the true and false minds to tell Ānanda: Do not mistake the thief for a son or the thief for a father; do not take your mind and eyes as your ultimate Ānanda. There is another true Ānanda; only by relying on it can you ultimately transcend birth and death.

Original Text: You now listen attentively. Ānanda bowed in reverence, humbly receiving the compassionate decree.

Explanation: After introducing the Śūraṅgama King Dharma door, the Buddha told Ānanda, “You now listen attentively; I will continue to explain to you.” Ānanda bowed in reverence, “humbly receiving the compassionate decree.” “Humbly” means willingly, having subdued the arrogance of his own mind, indicating his willingness to follow the Buddha’s compassionate decree. “Receiving” is acceptance. Because Ānanda had faith in the Buddha, he completely accepted and believed all the Buddha’s teachings. This is “humbly receiving.” He accepted and adopted all the Buddha’s compassionate decrees. Before the Buddha, he had no arrogance, never insisting his views were necessarily correct, but always seeking the Buddha’s perspective, inquiring whether his own understanding was correct. Ānanda always expressed his questions before the Buddha with an attitude of uncertainty. After each statement of his view, he asked the Buddha, “Is what I said correct?” This is an attitude of humility without arrogance and compliance with and reverence for the Buddha, worthy of our emulation.

Unlike many of us, who, clearly holding incorrect views, never examine them, blindly believing they are right; then very confidently tell others, even demanding they believe it. If others disbelieve or disagree, they become displeased. This is severe arrogance and self-attachment. Ānanda was different. Before the Buddha, he completely humbly received all the World-Honored One’s decrees. Whatever the Buddha said, Ānanda believed without doubt. Before the Buddha, he never clung to his own views as correct; he always sought the Buddha’s opinion, deeply believing what the Buddha said, respectfully following the Buddha’s teachings. This is a true disciple of the Buddha.

Original Text: The Buddha told Ānanda: As you say, the body is in the lecture hall, the windows and doors are open wide, and you see the distant grove. Yet, there are sentient beings in this hall who do not see the Tathāgata but can see outside the hall. Ānanda replied: World-Honored One, for one in the hall not to see the Tathāgata yet to see the grove and springs—this is impossible.

Explanation: The World-Honored One told Ānanda: As you say, your body is in the lecture hall, the doors and windows are all open wide, and you can see the distant grove through them. But there are sentient beings in this lecture hall who do not see the Tathāgata yet can see outside the hall. Ānanda replied: “World-Honored One, for one in the hall not to see the Tathāgata yet to see the grove and springs—sentient beings cannot do this.”

This sentence is crucial. It directly leads Ānanda to the contradiction in his own view, forcing him to admit that the idea of the conscious mind residing within the body is incorrect. The Buddha said that if the conscious mind were inside the body, it should see the internal organs, just as Ānanda, representing the conscious mind, is in the lecture hall representing the body. Then, inside the hall, you should first see the Buddha; after seeing the Buddha, you can see the grove outside. There is no such thing as not seeing the Buddha yet seeing the grove outside.

Because you, Ānanda, are facing the Buddha, with windows behind the Buddha and doors beside him, you see the Buddha first, then see the windows behind and the doors beside, and through the windows and doors, you see the grove outside the hall. Therefore, seeing the windows means you must first see the World-Honored One; seeing the grove means you must first see the windows. This metaphor illustrates that if the conscious mind were inside the body, it should first see the inside of the body, then see outside the body through the five or six sense faculties. The Buddha used this metaphor to corner Ānanda, placing him in a contradiction, forcing him to admit his argument was wrong.

The Buddha said there are people in this hall who do not see the Tathāgata yet can see outside the hall. Ānanda immediately said, “No, if a person is in the lecture hall, they must first see the Tathāgata, then see the assembly in the hall, and then see the Jeta Grove outside the doors and windows.”

Original Text: Ānanda, it is the same for you. Your conscious mind perceives everything. If this presently perceiving mind were truly within your body, then it should first perceive the internal body.

Explanation: The Buddha said: Ānanda, you are such a person. Didn’t you just say the conscious mind is within the body? Your conscious mind clearly perceives all dharmas; it can perceive and know all dharmas. If this presently perceiving conscious mind—the mind that clearly perceives all dharmas—were within the body, then the eye consciousness, ear consciousness, mental consciousness, and other conscious minds should first perceive your internal body, perceive the conditions inside your body. Because the conscious mind is within the body, it should naturally first perceive the internal organs. If so, you should first see inside the body; after seeing inside the body, then through the eye faculty, see the form dust outside the body.

Original Text: Are there sentient beings who first see inside their bodies and then perceive external things? Even if they cannot see their heart, liver, spleen, or stomach, the growth of nails and hair, the turning of sinews, or the shaking of pulses, they should indeed perceive these [internal conditions].

Explanation: If sentient beings truly could first see inside their bodies and then perceive external things, then even if sentient beings cannot see their own heart, liver, spleen, or stomach, the growth of nails, the lengthening of hair, the turning of sinews, or the shaking of pulses, they should still perceive some conditions within their own bodies. But why do they not know?

The Buddha said, “Are there sentient beings who first see inside their bodies and then perceive external things?” (“Are there” in ancient language often implies “very” or “truly.”) This rhetorical question implies there are no such sentient beings. No sentient being’s conscious mind can see their own heart, liver, spleen, or stomach, nor know how fingernails are born or how hair grows. If the conscious mind were inside the body, it should see these things. This demonstrates the conscious mind is not inside the body. If the conscious mind were inside one’s body, one would see the growth of one’s hair, see the heart, liver, spleen, and stomach, see the turning of sinews and shaking of pulses. If the conscious mind were inside the body, it should indeed perceive these material forms. But sentient beings do not know them.

Original Text: How is it they do not know? If they necessarily do not know internally, how can they know externally? Therefore, you should know that your statement—that the perceiving, knowing mind resides within the body—is impossible.

Explanation: Why do they not know? It must be that the conscious mind does not perceive the internal body’s conditions. If it does not even perceive the internal body’s conditions, how can it perceive conditions outside the body? Therefore, you should know, Ānanda, that your statement—that the mind capable of perceiving and knowing all dharmas resides within the body—has no basis in reason.

This thoroughly refutes Ānanda’s first view that the conscious mind resides within the body. After this refutation, Ānanda will propose another view—the second location of the mind inquiry.